“This Is The Worst Part Of My Job, A Day Like Today” Kat Corbett Tells NBC News On Death Of Beastie Boy Adam Yauch

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[pullquote quote=”They were the soundtrack to my life for sure.” credit=”Kat Corbett”]When news broke earlier today of The Beastie Boys’ Adam Yauch losing his battle with cancer, it was a tough situation to deal with – especially for some of our staff here at KROQ.

NBC Los Angeles visited our studios and sat down with Kat, who described the effect Adam and the Beastie Boys had on the music industry, his legacy and their relationship with KROQ throughout the years. “They were the soundtrack to my life for sure, and I know many others,” Kat explained. “This is the worst part of my job, a day like today, because you realize that people you’ve grown up with are now leaving us much too young.”

Photo: Cody Black

When asked what the Beasties effect on music was, Kat responded, “For me and a lot of my friends, they brought hip hop to the suburbs. That was a huge thing because back then hip hop was very underground. They were in the beginning of really letting the world experience hip hop. Between fashion and music, they had this kind of street sensibility. They put it out there and the kids just went nuts. Everybody had a copy of License To Ill in their collection.”

[pullquote quote=”…they started off as boys making boy music and saying naughty things, but they really evolved.”]

“Here’s a band that started off as a hardcore punk band, then they moved into hip hop and they started off as boys making boy music and saying naughty things, but they really evolved. They grew into men,” Kat continued. “They made these fantastic beats and they really brought street music to a level where the masses could enjoy it.”

The Beastie Boys with Stryker and Jed The Fish at Weenie Roast 2004

“KROQ and The Beastie Boys have been together and holding hands throughout the years. The Beastie Boys are one of the foundations of alternative music. Alternative music has this hip hop background to it and that’s where The Beastie Boys came from. They’re one brick in the wall of alternative music that the legs stand on here at KROQ. We have a huge history.”

During an hour-long block of Beastie Boys songs earlier today, Kat also spoke with Justin Warfield from She Wants Revenge, who described the situation as “it’s like one of our Beatles died… he was the George Harrison of the Beasties.”

“There definitely would have been no She Wants Revenge had it not been for the Beastie Boys. It was Adam and I growing up, two Jewish kids into hip hop in the Valley.” He also spoke about being a youth in 1990, playing basketball and skateboarding with MCA and Ad-Rock. Listen to the full break below.